Mop wringer attachment for pails,etc.

ABSTRACT

A MOP WRINGING ATTACHMENT FOR PAILS AND THE LIKE WHICH MAY BE FIRMLY AND READILY SUPPORTED ON AND EASILY REMOVED FROM THE PAIL, WHICH WRINGER IS SO PROPORTIONED AND CONSTRUCTED AS TO READILY RECEIVE THE WET MOP AND TO DIRECT THE DOWN THRUST EXERTED ON THE MOP TOWARD THE BOTTOM CENTER OF THE RECEPTACLE AS THE MOP IS WRUNG OUT TO ABOVE SLIDING, TILTING OR TIPPING OF THE RECEPTACLE WHEN THE MOP IS PLACED IN THE WRINGER AND A TWISTING ACTION IMPARTED THERETO TO EFFECT REMOVAL OF WATER FROM THE MOP. THE WRINGER ALSO HAS A STRUCTURE DESIGNED TO HOLD THE FREE ENDS OF THE MOP STRANDS AS THE MOP IS TWISTED TO ASSURE A WRINGING ACTION ALONG THE FULL LENGTH OF THE STRANDS AND AT THE SAME TIME PREVENT THE STRANDS FROM CONTACTING LIQUID IN THE CONTAINER DURING WRINGING.

Jan. 19, 1971 QUIMBY MOP WRINGER ATTACHMENT FOR FAILS, ETC.

2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1969 FIG. I

LEO QUIMBY find? M ATTORNEY Jan. 19, 1971 L'. UIMB 3,555,589

MOP WRINGER ATTACHMENT FOR FAILS, ETC. 5

Filed Dec; 22, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LEO QUI MBY BY /mziz M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,555,589 MOP WRINGER ATTACHMENT FOR PAILS, ETC.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mop wringing attachment for pails and the like which may be firmly and readily supported on and easily removed from the pail, which wringer is so proportioned and constructed as to readily receive the wet mop and to direct the down thrust exerted on the mop toward the bottom center of the receptacle as the mop is wrung out to avoid sliding, tilting or tipping of the receptacle when the mop is placed in the wringer and a twisting action imparted thereto to effect removal of water from the mop, The wringer also has a structure designed to hold the free ends of the mop strands as the mop is twisted to assure a wringing action along the full length of the strands and at the same time prevent the strands from contacting liquid in the container during wringing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Numerous attempts have been made to provide a satisfactory mop wringer attachment for a bucket or pail but none thus far have provided a structure proportioned in size, shape and dimensions to be readily mounted in such a receptacle, and which has structure designed to grip the mop head strands to facilitate wringing, and means to avoid tipping of the receptacle when the mop head to be wrung is placed therein and a turning and downward force is applied to the mop handle for wringing the strands of the mop head to a substantially dry condition.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned primarily with a mop wringer attachment for a bucket or pail which can be firmly secured thereto with ease and readily removed therefrom following the use thereof in wringing to a substantially dry condition a mop of conventional construction commonly employed in the cleaning of floors, mopping up an excess of water or other liquid from a fioor or similar surface.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a mop wringer attachment for a pail or bucket which may be constructed of metal, plastic or other suitable material and proportioned in shape, depth and width to assure efficient wringing of a mop to a substantially dry condition with minimum danger of sliding or overturning the pail or bucket in which the wringer attachment is supported.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mop wringer attachment for buckets or pails of various shapes and sizes which may be easily adapted to the rim of such buckets or pails and securely supported thereon throughout the mop wringing operation.

A still further object of the invention is to form a mop wringer adapted to be secured to the rim of a pail or bucket and width and depth configuration for maximum ease and eificiency in using the device.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a mop wringer with an imperforate inclined planar lower end wall which not only prevents the lower ends of the strands extending through drainage openings in the adjacent inner side wall of the mop wringer when a mop is placed therein for wringing the same to a substantially dry condition, but also coacts with the inner side ice wall of the wringer to grip and hold the lower ends of the strands as the upper end of the mop head is twisted by twisting the handle; said inclined imperforate lower end wall also guiding or directing the lower end portions of the mop head inwardly and downwardly toward the center of the bottom of the receptacle to which the wringer is secured and into which it extends, so as to substantially obviate sliding, tilting or overturning of the receptacle and spilling of its contents.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a mop wringer an inner side wall having a plurality of drain openings for the flow of water outwardly from the interior of the wringer disposed to insure the complete drainage of the water from within the wringer.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the reading of the following description of a device constructed in accordance with the invention, and reference to the accompanying drawings thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a mop wringer applied to the rim of a pail or receptacle shown in fragmentary section;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the mop wringer of FIG. 1 supported on the rim of the pail;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the wringer in the receptacle; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the receptacle showing the hanger for supporting and securing the mop wringer on the receptacle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates generally a bucket or pail having tapered side wall 11 of conventional construction which may be formed of suitable metal, plastic and the like, The pail may be provided with a conventional bail type handle (not shown) for ease of transportation thereof from place to place. As with pails of this general type, a bead or rim 12 is formed at the upper end of the side wall 11 in any manner, as by rolling, etc. A bottom 13 for the bucket is either formed integral with the side wall 11 thereof or is secured thereto in any known manner as by welding, crimping, etc.

The mop wringer of the present invention comprises generally an open-ended cup-like container or receptacle 14 formed of metal, plastic and the like, in substantially the configuration of an inverted frustum of an elliptical cone having an inclined imperforate smaller base or planar bottom wall 15, preferably formed integral with the tapered side wall 16, which is generally elliptical in cross section. The imperforate inclined base or bottom wall 15, may, of course, be secured to the side wall in any known manner. The larger base or upper end of the inverted frustum is fully open and provides a mouth or entrance opening 21 which may be beveled as at 18a along the outer upper or rear end portion of the side wall 16, as shown in FIG. 1. Of course, the upper rear end of the side wall vltimay be formed to lie in a plane, as shown in dotted lines at 18/), if desired. Also, the upper edge of the side wall 16 may have ahead or smoothed rounded strengthening member 22 formed thereon. The side wall 16 of the receptacle tapers downwardly, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, and provides an imperforate elongate arcuate rear or outer support wall portion 18; preferably imperforate side wall portions 17 and .19, each having a smaller radius of curvature; and a front orinner strainer wall 20 having a plurality of spaced. perforations 27 formed therein for permitting water or other matter squeezed from. the mop head to drain from the interior of the receptacle to the bucket or pail 10. Thus, it can be seen that the open upper base of the frustum which forms the top open end 21 of container 14 is relatively large in area so as to enable one to easily guide the strands of a mop head within the container or receptacle when it is desired to wring out any water or solution from within the strands of the head of the rnop. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the arcuate imperforate rear or outer portion 18 of the side wall 16 is formed of the same general configuration as the inwardly tapered side wall of the usual bucket or pail .10 with which the wringer is used. As can be appreciated, the arcuate outer wall portion 18 is of considerable width and large radius of curvature so that a relatively large area of the side wall of the wringer will be in immediate contact with the side wall 11 of the pail to properly steady the strainer or wringer against movement about its longitudinal axis within the pail. Cooperating with the outer or rear wall section 18 for steadying the strainer within the pail is a clip member 28 shown as formed with a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending arms 24 and 25 which are formed of metal, plastic, etc., and which have their upper ends formed integral with the receptacle 14 or secured thereto in any known manner. The arms 24 and 25 are shown as joined at their lower ends by a connector piece 26 extending therebetween. It is preferable that the clip arms 24 and 25 be formed of a resilient material so as to insure a close fitting contact between outer surface of the rear wall portion 18 of the wringer 14 and the inside of the wall 11 of the pail 10.

As stated previously, the side wall 16 of the wringer tapers downwardly from the open upper end 21 of the elliptically shaped open top portion of the wringer and so extends downwardly and inwardly to the inclined imperforate bottom wall which is joined thereto in any suitable manner. As best seen at FIG. 1 of the drawings, the imperforate bottom wall 15 is inclined or slopes downwardly from the outer or rear wall portion 18 to the perforated front or inner wall section 20, preferably at an angle of about 60 degrees to 45 degrees with respect to the outer or rear wall section 18, for a purpose to be described more fully hereinafter.

The drain openings 27 formed in the inner or front wall section are spaced longitudinally and laterally in such front wall section and open to the level of the lower inner edge of the upper surface of the imperforate inclined bottom wall 15 which is slanted downwardly toward such perforate inner wall section 20, and extend laterally of said front wall section to about the line of junction thereof with the imperforate small radius side wall sections 17 and 19, so as to drain from within the container 14 all of the liquid deposited therein during the wringing operation of the mop. The inner lower edge portion of the inclined imperforate bottom wall 15 which joins the lower end of the outer rear wall section 18 at an angle approximately 60 degrees and also joins the inner or front wall at an angle of substantially 60 degrees, forms therewith an arcuate tapered or wedge recess 23 which receives the lower free ends of the strands of the mop head (not shown) to gri or hold the end of the strands against movement as the strands are twisted by twisting the mop handle. This gripping or holding action is increased by the downward thrust of the mo head along the inclined bottom wall 15 as the mop head is pressed downwardly in the receptacle, the inclined bottom wall directing the mop strands into the wedge recess to be held or wedged between the bottom wall and the inner or front wall section 20 of the wringer receptacle 14.

The inclined bottom wall 15 also directs the downward thrust or pressure of the mop head and handle inwardly and downwardly toward the center of the bottom of the bucket or pail 10, and so greatly reduces or eliminates tilting, sliding or overturning of the bucket as the mop is pressed down into the receptacle and twisted to wring out water or other liquid in the mop head.

In use of the mop wringer of the present invention, the wringer receptacle is secured within a pail or bucket with the outer wall 18 of the receptacle held in close contact with the inner surface of the side wall 11 of the pail or bucket by the clip 28. Normally, the liquid level within the pail is well below the inclined bottom wall .15 of the wringer receptacle so as to enable any water or solution removed from the mop during the wringing operationto properly drain into the pail. A mop to be wrung by means of the wringer receptacle described herein is lowered by its handle into the open upper end 21 of the cup-like receptacle 14 and downward force is applied thereto to slide the ends of the strands along the inclined bottom wall and force as much of the mop strands as possible within the arcuate wedge recess 23 at the lower inner end of the receptacle to be held therein. Thereafter, the mop handle is rotated so as to cause the mop strands to assume a more or less helical configuration and as this is occurring, water or other solution from within the mop strands is expelled therefrom. The imperforate bottom wall 15 not only provides a sliding surface for the mop strands but also holds the ends of the strands out of the water in the pail or bucket and directs the water squeezed out of the strands downwardly and inwardly to the perforated front wall 20 of the receptacle. This action is continued until such time as sulficient water has been expelled from the rnop as to render the same substantially dry and then capable of reuse in a mopping operation. Unlike wringers of usual construction, the planar inclined imperforate lower wall closed end 15 of the receptacle 14 provides an inclined plane which directs the downward thrust of the rnop inwardly and downwardly toward the center of the bottom of the bucket or pail to prevent tipping of the bucket, and coacts with the perforated inner or front wall 20 to provide the arcuate wedge recess 23 which holds or grips the strands of the mop head to facilitate twisting and wringing action, and also prevents any mop strands from extending through and below the bottom wall container to thus soak in any water within the pail. Further, the downward thrust of the mop being directed toward the inner lower end of the inclined wall 15 applies an inward torque force to the upper end of the body wall section 18 which tends to press the bottom of the bucket more firmly against the fioor to further stabilize the bucket or pail and prevent tipping or tilting of the bucket.

The foregoing description of the invention is explana tory only, and changes in the details of the construction illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A wringer attachment for a bucket or pail comprising: a cup-shaped body having a continuous side wall providing an imperforate outer rear wall section, imperforate side wall sections and a perforated inner front wall section, and an imperforate bottom wall inclined at an angle downwardly and inwardly from said rear wall section to said inner front wall section, the upper end of said body being open and said side wall tapering downwardly from said open upper end to said imperforate bottom wall; means on said imperforate rear wall section for securing said body to and within said bucket or pail; said bottom wall and said inner front wall section meeting at an acute angle to provide gripping wedge recess means adjacent the lower end of said inner front wall section whereby the strands of the head of a mop inserted in said body will slide down said inclined bottom wall into said wedge recess to be gripped or held by said wedge recess upon application of a downward twisting movement to the handle of said mop to provide for wringing the strands substantially free of fluid; said inclined bottom wall also directing the downward thrust applied to the mop head inwardly and downwardly toward the center bottom portion of the bucket or pail to prevent tilting, tipping or sliding of said pail.

2. A wringer attachment of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein the cup-shaped body is substantially elliptical in cross section and is in the form of an inverted truncated elliptical hollow cone having an open upper end and a closed lower end.

3. A wringer attachment of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for securing said body to and within said bucket comprises an elongate resilient clip secured at its upper end to the upper portion of the outer rear wall section of the body and extending downwardly therefrom along said rear wall, said clip being arranged to receive the upper end of a bucket or pail between it and the outer rear wall of the body to clamp the body to and support it within the bucket or pail.

4. A wringer attachment of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein the wall sections of said cup-shaped body are arranged in a substantially elliptical configuration in cross section with the major axis disposed between the front wall section and the rear wall section to provide an elongate convex rear wall disposed to engage the interior wall of the bucket or pail, and said means for securing the body to and in place in said bucket or pail is connected with said rear wall section below the upper end thereof and extends downwardly therealong.

5. A wringer attachment of the character set forth in clam 4 wherein the wedge recess formed between the inner front wall section and the inclined imperforate bottom wall section is concave and the angle therebetween is acute, whereby the strands of the mop disposed in the body are gripped or held in said recess during twisting of the mop head in the body.

6. A wringer attachment of the character set forth in claim 4 wherein the means for securing the cup-shaped body to and supporting it within the bucket or pail comprises a resilient clip having laterally spaced means for engaging the outer portion of the bucket or pail for securely clamping the rear wall section of the cup-shaped body to the bucket or pail.

7. A wringer attachment of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein said imperforate bottom wall is inclined downwardly and inwardly from said rear wall section to said inner front wall section and at an angle of approximately 120 degrees with respect to said rear wall.

8. A wringer attachment of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein said imperforate bottom Wall is inclined at an angle of approximately degrees with respect to said inner front wall section to provide said wedge recess therebetween.

9. A wringer attachment of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein the perforations in the inner front wall extend from a point adjacent the upper surface of the imperforate inclined bottom wall section upwardly thereabove to a point below the upper end of said front body wall and are disposed laterally throughout said front body wall to a point adjacent the curved side wall section of said body.

10. A wringer attachment of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein the imperforate bottom wall, rear wall and side wall sections provide means to prevent the ends of the strands of a mop head from dropping out of the cup-shaped body into any fluid in the bucket or pail on which the body is supported, and to direct fluids squeezed from the strands to the perforations in the inner front wall of the body to pass therethrough into said bucket or pail.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 943,650 12/ 1909 Callis et al. 15-263 981,448 1/1911 Matthews 15-260X 1,652,800 12/1927 Schulman 15263 2,143,846 1/1939 Giddings 15263 2,149,255 3/1939 Fader l5263 2,508,947 5/1950 Hoke 15-263X 2,567,708 9/1951 Heber 15-263 FOREIGN PATENTS 158,492 1/ 1933 Switzerland l5-263 1,467,872 12/1966 France 15-260 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner 

